I Took In A Pregnant Stray!!

[Amanda greogry]

Three nights ago an affectionate, beautiful,yet malnourished stray showed up on my door step. I immediately bonded with her- I’m so in love. As I went to feed her and saw how loving she was I picked her up and right away said “ OH!shes all lumpy...? She just had babies!” Her breast tissue was enlarged and her nippels were large. It was dark so I diddnt get a great look at her- I just went by feel. I fed her and she ate WAY more than I expected. I diddnt let her inside because I wanted her to return to her babies, but I did leave a bed and blanket out and told her to bring me her babies( I belive she would have lol). The next morning she was still in the spot I made and upon closer inspection I started to think she was still pregnant- not already a mother.
She has a bit of a belly- not huge. I’d guess 4-6 weeks pregnant. Probably closer to 4. However her nippels, while quite large, are not pink at all, Just a Neutral color.

I’m starting to wonder if I am imagining her current pregnancy and maybe she has an abandoned litter somewhere? ( I’d feel like scum of the earth if I contributed to abandonment. I searched high and low for kittens that night and diddnt find any)

I’ll upload some pictures- tell me what you think.

Of course when I say I set out a blanket and bed what I really mean is I set out my daughters old car seat and her repunzle blankie daughter was happy to donate to the Pretty Kitty.

 

[talkingpeanut]

She hasn’t left to find any babies in 3 days?

 

[Amanda greogry]

No. I leave the door open for her but she isn’t interested In going out. She seems very content to just lounge about the house.

 

[Amanda greogry]

In the first picture you can see a bit of a belly on her. About the size of a large orange.

 

[talkingpeanut]

I would assume there are no babies at this point. Can you take her to a vet? She may be pregnant again.

 

[Amanda greogry]

Pregnant * again* ?
im Not positive she has ever given birth before.

I cannot take her to a vet right now. I just can’t swing it so close to The holidays.

 

[Amanda greogry]

As I sit her petting her, her belly is round and firm for sure. I feel silly questioning a pregnancy because it seems a little obvious. I’m just anxious I guess.

 

[talkingpeanut]

She looks to me like she may have weaned a litter and may be carrying another one.

Where are you located? We can help you to find a low cost clinic.

 

[Amanda greogry]

I’m actualy well acquainted with the vets in my area. Iv been to nearly all of them in the past, having lived here in central California my entire life. They all work with the organization that I’m associated with- but because it’s so close to the end of the year the grant funds are essentially depleted. Come January we will receive another grant for veterinary vouchers- however we will likely already have some babies by then.

 

[Sarthur2]

She looks pregnant to me, and well past the 5-week mark. She does look like she has already been nursing, so I assume someone took her kittens.

As friendly as she is, she was clearly someone's pet cat at some point.

You may want to have a vet check her for a chip, just in case.

I think you should keep her inside your home, and not let her out until after she is spayed when her new kittens are 8 weeks old.

Keep us posted!

 

[Amanda greogry]

I agree she was very clearly someone’s pet. It’s not often that people in my VERY tiny, rural community chip their pets. I fact- none of the local vets will even do it. It’s more likely unfortunately that she and her pervious litter were dumped in the woods behind my house. That happens frequently
I have posted all over Facebook, looking for her home and habe put up flyers at the gas station and market. So far no luck and I don’t really expect to hear from any one, as per usual.
I brought her inside on day two when I realized she was not going to leave my front step. She’s been sleeping on my bed and on my feet in the kitchen while I cook. She follows me into the bathroom and lays on the floor while I shower. She is full of love and so greagful to be warm and fed. It’s very cold here right now. Snowing in some parts. Her and I are lucky to have found each other.

My thought was she is close to five weeks but it’s hard to tell because she was so skinny and under fed. It could be she is not so far but looks larger compared to her tiny little body.
She also looks to be about 8 months old

 

[Ceeedge]

How is she doing?

 

[Amanda greogry]

How is she doing?

Very well thanks for asking!
Her coat is sleek and shiny again. She’s out in a ton of weight. Her paw pads are healing and becoming soft again( they were dry and cracked from the elements ) and we are expecting kittens any time from tomorrow to the next two weeks, lol. Still not sure how far along she is but the pregnancy is totally obvious now. Lots of movement from the kittens.
I’m hoping she will nest under my sink, where I set up a bed for her, and not in my dirty laundry basket, haha, but we will see.
I’m pregnant myself- only five months- and just way too excited to have some babies in the house to hold me over until my new little one gets here

 

[Ceeedge]

She really is a beauty. It will be amazing. I found the birth of kittens to be the most beautiful and humbling experience. Congrats on your little one as well!

 

[ileen]

That picture from Monday makes her look so tiny, I thought it was a kitten who had joined your family at first. So cute that you are both pregnant together.

 

[Amanda greogry]

We took in a stray cat and it turns out she was pregnant. No big deal. She had her kittens on Friday night and everything went well. The kittens are coming up on 72 hours old and I noticed that when mama nurses them her breathing becomes rapid. At other times it is not so bad although occasionally I do catch her breathing rather noisily when she is not nursing. Her nose is dry and her ears are SLIGHTLY warm. She’s eats and uses the litter box and cares for the kittens with no issues. She’s very affectionate to us and seems to be fine other than thebrapid breathing.
I saw a placenta for each kitten so I’m not too worried about a uterine infection- my first concern is milk fever- although it doesn’t seems to be as bad as that....At least not yet.

What are signs I need to look out for? Anything I can do to help her now?
She’s drinking lots of water, and half kitten chow half regular food. I was thinking of adding in some KMR once or twice a day for extra calories and hydration. Part of me wonders if she isn’t just a little dehydrated from labor and birth.

What do you all think?

 

[Sarthur2]

Nursing is hard work. It definitely sounds like her body is stressed. Give her a dish of KMR to drink daily. She needs the calcium, and that is probably what is causing the heavy breathing. I see this a lot, and KMR seems to really help!

How many kittens did she have?

Also, she needs wet food 2-3 times a day, and dry available 24/7 for snacking.

Thank you for rescuing her! Do you plan to keep her?

We’d love to see pictures!

 

[Amanda greogry]

I know when I’m nursing my own babies it’s pretty exhausting, haha.
She had six babies but only five made it. Baby six was still born and I could not get him started. She’s quite bonded with me and gave birth practically on my lap. I want to keep, her but in about 12 weeks after every one has been spayed and neutered, her and her five babies are going to go live at my mothers farm house in the country. I have a small apartment and two of my own cats... and I’m expecting my own new baby in just a few weeks- if only we had the room for her! But she will be well loved and cared for at my moms house.
Wet food is definitely on my shopping list, I just haven’t been out yet.
Thank you for your response here are a couple pictures of my happy little family. Two solid black, two Cali, and a white with a couple spots.
Olive Buffy Bowie Ziggy and Pepper With happy mama Angelis.

 

[Sarthur2]

Aww, how sweet!

Do you have KMR in the house so you can start her on it right away?

 

[Amanda greogry]

I do and I just gave her a dish. She ate it right up. It was the last, but Iv asked my husband to stop and get more,and wet food, on his way home from work today.